living positive by paul montero
As I click my way past countless personalities on the naughty website where of starvation from ruined crops? Will a tainted water supply ever render an entire
Eve has no place, I’m fascinated by how desensitized the local Adam seekers have generation of us sterile? Then why are we so terrified to allow the country’s loaded
become regarding HIV. Don’t get me wrong, I’m thrilled about the fact that our pockets to loosen for the sake of millions of lives? The expected death toll of HIV
collective morale is up and adverse reactions to meds are as low as we’ve ever seen. isn’t a force of nature that simply has to be surrendered to, it’s something that
Heck, I never thought I’d ever have a dental plan as good as this, but voilà, here it is! our precious “dying corporations” can help to alleviate in places where no one has
And what did I do to deserve it? Considering heartache and physical anguish that even heard of a dental plan.
generations before me have endured, I’ve suffered nothing. As it is, I’m getting a I realize that the country doesn’t have unlimited means to make an immediate
free ride on the America float simply for having been born on this side of the parade. difference, but that doesn’t mean our attitude has to sound like that obligatory
And while the spectacle of life struts on, flaunting a shockingly unfair distribution telephone to your in-laws:
of opportunity, I can’t help but think, “It could have been me. I could have been “Hey, South Africa. How have you been lately? Oh, and Asia? How’s that whole
one of the millions of people without the good fortune of having seroconverted AIDS thing going with you? Any famine? Any explosive outbreaks? Sorry to hear
on this particular land mass.” It’s very strange to me that even in the 21st century, about that. I’m sure someone will lend you a hand. Oh Well, it’s been great catch-
geography still has a real impact on who gets to live and who has to die. ing up with you both…Back to ‘reality!’ CLICK.”
Of course I don’t live in reality. I live in the United States—where corporations Stop looking at HIV as something that is killing you. You’re in the U.S. Do you
gladly fork over millions of dollars for a 30-second-long TV spot during sporting know how lucky you are? Some of you are going to get things for free that most
events, but it takes 30+ governments from around the world the span of a year to people can’t afford. In some parts of the world you’d be thrown in prison simply for
donate a comparable amount to UNAIDS. Yes, after decades of shouting, money being gay! The ones who are actually being killed by this epidemic are thousands
is finally being siphoned into domains that look after our well-being, but who’s of miles away…but that doesn’t mean you’re powerless to help them.
looking out for the rest of the world? Why do entire families in Africa and Southeast How can I make a difference? The same way we got the government to respond
Asia only have a few more years of life ahead of them while local “gift-givers” casu- to us! Remember all that shouting that previous generations did to earn us that
ally spread their strain giving little thought to the lives they alter? As Americans, a free dental? Maybe it’s time we picked up the slack. Support UNAIDS and similar
lot of us suffer from a nasty sense of arrogant entitlement. We’ve developed a sort nonprofit organizations in any way you can. Many of them have local offices and
of fantasy where we believe we have these invisible things called rights. And with can be contacted through The LGBT Center or a quick Internet search. Realize
these rights we can use the majority of Earth’s resources within the safety of our that, though HIV is a big deal outside the safe confines of the U.S., it’s not too big
coasts while the rest of the world scratches its head in disbelief. for a well-funded international relief campaign to handle—especially with the
Global AIDS is still not our problem, right? We need to worry about our current help of a country as rich as ours. Maybe then we will have earned the right to live it
dilemmas, huh? Let’s think for a minute. No matter how bad things get here… up, Southern California.
no matter how expensive gas gets or however many corporations go under, are
we ever really in danger? Will a particularly harsh winter mean that half of us die feedback?
livingpositive@ragemonthly.com
“…I don’t live in reality. I live in the United States—
where corporations gladly fork over millions of
dollars for a 30-second-long TV spot during sporting
events, but it takes 30+ governments from around
the world the span of a year to donate a comparable
amount to UNaIdS.”
World, Hold On
34 RAGE monthly | MAY 2009
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